A Tacoma family is mourning after a 19-year-old University of Michigan student was found dead following a nearly 20-hour search in extreme winter conditions.
Lucas Mattson was discovered Saturday afternoon, Jan. 24, in a residential neighborhood near the college campus, according to the Ann Arbor Police Department.
The Juneau, Alaska, resident and sophomore engineering student had been reported missing a day earlier after he failed to return home overnight during dangerously cold weather, police said.
“There were no obvious signs of trauma, and foul play is not suspected at this time,” the Ann Arbor Police Department said in a release. The Washtenaw County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of death.
Mattson’s aunt, Tacoma resident Jennie Schoeppe, said the family is devastated by his loss.
“Lucas was a special young man with a bright future, and he will be so deeply missed,” she wrote on a GoFundMe page. Donations will help cover funeral and memorial expenses, out-of-state travel and lodging, and other costs as Mattson’s mother Lisa navigates the early stages of grief and transition.
Additional scrutiny has emerged in the days following Mattson’s death. Attorney Bobby Raitt, who says he represents the family, told CBS News Detroit that he is investigating whether alcohol was improperly served to Mattson at a fraternity party the night he disappeared.
Raitt claims Mattson attended a gathering at the Delta Chi fraternity on Hill Street and left around 1 a.m. while visibly intoxicated and inadequately dressed for the weather. Raitt alleges Mattson, who was under 21, was served alcohol at the party — a claim that has not been verified by investigators.
“No lawsuits have been filed at this time,” Raitt said, adding that he has sent letters to the university and fraternity requesting the preservation of surveillance footage, cellphone records, and other evidence.
University of Michigan Greek Life officials have acknowledged that Delta Chi’s national organization issued an interim suspension of the chapter on Jan. 25, including all activities. Delta Chi’s headquarters has not publicly responded to the attorney’s claims.
Police have not linked Mattson’s death to criminal conduct, and the medical examiner’s findings remain pending.
University officials said crisis counseling and mental health support remain available to students through campus services as the community mourns the loss of a classmate.
For Schoeppe, the GoFundMe represents a way to ease the burden on Mattson’s mother during an unimaginable time. “Any contribution you make will help lessen the burden on Lucas’s mom Lisa and help her to focus on transition and healing.”
Those interested in supporting the family can donate via GoFundMe here.
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